Albeet bowist



A. BOWN.

(No Model.)

ENGNE..

Patented Apr. 6'

a&

INVENTO? /T/VESSES NlTED STATES ATENT OFFICE,

ALBERT BOVVN, OF STREATOR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO FAVVCETTPLUMB, OF SAME PLACE.

ENGINE.

PlEC-IFICATION forming par'. of Letters Patent No. 339.136, datedApi-116.188&

Serial No. 183.128. (No model.)

Teal/'Z whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ALBERT BOWN, of Streator, in the County of La Salleand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertai ns to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in engines. i

The object is to provide a multiple-cylinder engine in which a singlesteam-chest shall all-4 swer for all the cylinders and be capable ofaceomnodating slide-valves and valve-operating gear of improvedConstruction.

WVith these ends in View my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the elaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View of the engine invertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a transverse section throughthe steam-chest and one of the cylinders; and

Fig. 3 is a View of the steanchest in eleva- 1 ton, the cover beingremoved to show the valve-gear in position.

tions of the valve-operating shaft X. The shalt X extends through thevalve-chamber, and is journaled in its ends, and its eranked portionsare constructed to slide the valves V successively over the ports in theseveral oylinders, as eecentrics on the engine-shalt would do in theordinary Construction. The cranked portions of the shaft X radiate fromthe axis of the shaft in planes which ina-ke equal angles with eachother, and thus some one of the pistons is constantly in a position todo its most effective work. The valve-shaft X is conveniently driven bymeans of gear G G' G the gears G and G having the same number of teeth.Other means, however, might be employed to transmit the notion of theshaft C to the valve-shaft X.

The bearings within the valve-chamber are kept lubricated by adnittingoil with the steam, and the pistons may either be lubricated through themedium of the live steam or from the oil and water in the hollow base.

It is evident that eccentrics might be employed on the valve-shaftwithin the steamchest in the place of cranks, and that other l slightchanges might be resorted to in the form and arraugement of the severalparts described A A', &c., represent two or more cylinders (in thepresent nstance three) supported upon a hollow base, B, containing oiland water. The engineshaft C extends through the base B, and hassuitable bearings in each end. The shaft G is cranked at points in aline with the axes of the cylinders. The three cranks c c' c'* divergefrom the axis of the shaft in radial planes, forming equal angles witheach other, and their wrist-pins are connected with the pistons P by thepiston-rods 1).

Drepresentsavalve-chanber,whieh extends across the several cylinders,serving asacommon valve-chamber and stean-chest for all the eylinders.Steam ports S extend from the cylinders above the pistons to thevalve-chanbers, and eXhaust-ports E lead from the Valvechamher to theeXhaust-pipes e, located at either one or both ends of the engine.

V represents slide-valves of ordinary construction, one of which isada-pted to open and close the ports of each of the cylinders. They areadjustably connected to yokes Y, which latter engage wrist-pinsxon thecranked porwithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention;henee I do not wish to limit myself Strictly to the Construction hereinset forth.

I an aware that a multiple-cylinder engine having a valVe-chanber commonto all of said cylinders and a single slide or rotary valve operated bya shaft having eccentrics thereon is not new; hence I make no claim tosuch a construction.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desi re tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a series of oylinders located side by side, avalve-chamber common to said series of cylinders, a single port connectin g each cylinder with the valve-chamber, and an exhaust port foreach cylinder opening into the valve-chamber, of a slide valve for eachcylinder, and a single shaft located within the valve-chamber, andhaving a series of cranks adapted to operate the valves, substantiallyas set forth.

2. The combination, with two or more cylin- IOD ders, pistons Working inthe cylinders and g are adjustablyseenred,and arotaryshaft passadzptedto receive stezni! on one side onlymnd i ing longitudimlly through theValve-chamber, a cranked engine-shefi; driven bythe istons, and providedWith ecceutric or cranked porof a valve-operatiug shnft having a seriesof 1 tions adapted to engzge bheyokes 'and operate cranks or eccentrcsthereon and lncted within 5 the valves, substantially as set; forth.

the valve-chamher, a series of sliding valves In testinony whereof Ihave signed this operated by said valve-opera in g shafl, and secificabi0n in the presence of two subscrbgearing connecting theengine-shutt and valveing witnesses.

Operating shaft substantiall y as set fortah. ALBERT BOWN.

3. The combinat ion, W'bh sliding valves 10- witnesses: cated in avalve-chamber common to t wo or RALPH P. HUNTER, more cylinders, ofyokes to which the valves l J AY BAKER.

